10 Smart Tech Toys For Kids
It's holiday toy shopping season. Please the budding coder, architect, robot-builder, or drone pilot in your life with these cool choices.
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10 tech toys that won't disappoint
The holiday shopping season has arrived, and whichever cultural/religious/atheistic tradition you follow, it probably involves an exchange of gifts. Unless, of course, you celebrate Festivus. Sadly, many of us aren't fond of the season's gift-buying rituals and the stresses they bring. A 2013 survey commissioned by Staples Canada of more than 1,500 Canadian adults showed that 89% of holiday gift buyers admit to having problems buying presents for at least one person on their shopping list. And half of gift givers find it hard to buy presents for a very basic reason: they run out of ideas.
Well, don't get too bummed out. Perhaps there's some tinsel to this annual ritual. Online shopping has eased the gift-buying burden a bit by allowing us to tap and click our way through a shopping list rather than braving brick-and-mortar congestion. A positive attitude helps too, as does the wherewithal to cover a month or so of unbridled consumerism and a January hangover of supersized credit card bills.
When it comes to children's toys, there's another layer of shopper's stress, particularly if your goal is to find items that both entertain and educate the youngsters in your life. Do you go with the Dragon Ninja Weapon Set -- plenty of exercise, sure, but not really educational -- or choose something a bit more cerebral? Should you select Mattel's Disney Frozen Sparkle Princess Elsa Doll -- one of Amazon's most popular toys this season -- or search in vain for a sparkly princess doll that also teaches girls to program? You won't have much luck finding that in the doll aisle, but GoldieBlox does offer stereotype-busting toys and kits for girls who love to build, as does Lego.
Whatever you choose, it may incorporate digital technology. Touchscreens, for instance, are playing a larger role in kids' activities. A February 2014 survey by the Michael Cohen Group, a research and consulting firm, shows an emerging mashup of touchscreen devices and traditional toys. Toy makers, for instance, may offer a smartphone or tablet app that adds extra capabilities to a traditional board game or building kit. And today's children (12 and under) are more likely to play with a touchscreen device than with blocks, puzzles, board games, and other traditional toys, the survey found.
It's not uncommon for new toys to blend the physical and digital worlds, a merger that ideally inspires kids to think, move, and still have fun. We've selected 10 gift ideas that span a wide range of children's interests and ages, each with a decidedly tech focus. Most, but not all, have an educational component, because sometimes it's OK to simply go out and play. Play is an important part of the early childhood learning experience. We hope you like this assortment of gift-giving ideas (and let us know in the comments section if we missed one of your favorites.)
Do really want to hand over your new and precious iPad Air 2 to the grimy hands of a toddler? Amazon's Fire HD Kids Edition is a durable, affordable, and surprisingly well-equipped tablet, particularly given its $150 (6-inch) or $190 (7-inch) price. It packs a quad-core CPU, a gig of RAM, a 1280x800-pixel display, and 8 GB of storage (4.5 GB is available). Amazon tosses in a year of access to Free Time, its curated library of children's books, games, and videos. The best part, though, is the kid-proof warranty: If the tablet breaks within two years, Amazon will replace it for free -- no questions asked.
This learning toy blends the physical and digital to build your child's brain power -- or at the very least awaken the youngster from an iPad-induced stupor. Osmo ($80) comes with a "Reflector" mirror that snaps over the iPad's front camera, a base to hold the iPad in portrait mode, and three puzzle, drawing, and word games. The Tangram game, for instance, challenges players to arrange puzzle pieces to match onscreen shapes. Arguably Osmo's coolest game (for now) is Newton, in which kids use paper and pen to draw objects that instantly appear on the screen and guide falling balls into target areas.
When it comes to low-tech toys that foster creativity, Lego is the time-tested champion. The genius of Lego Mindstorms EV3 ($350) is that it combines the brain-boosting inventiveness of traditional Legos with the cutting-edge appeal of robotics. Kids can construct one of five robots and control it via a smartphone, tablet, or the included remote control. In addition to building the bots, kids use an icon-based programming interface on a PC or Mac to add capabilities. The 601-piece set includes three interactive servo motors, as well as color, touch, and infrared sensors. Caveats? It's very expensive, so you might have to choose between Mindstorms EV3 and a family trip to Legoland.
Ozobot ($60 on Amazon) is a Pac-Man-like robotic game piece that glides across a physical surface, such as a game board or an iPad-style tablet. It teaches coding and robotics; kids can program Ozobot to navigate mazes, slide across racetracks, perform dance routines, and more. Featuring dual micromotors and a color optical sensor, Ozobot quickly recognizes and reacts to lines and patterns on digital and physical surfaces. Capable of moving autonomously, this adorable little bot includes several downloadable apps such as Ozopath, in which Ozobot moves through virtual mazes on a tablet screen.
Teaching kids to code can be a challenge, particularly when the youngsters don't see the benefits of hard-to-learn programming lessons. Sphero 2.0 ($130) uses instant gratification to makes coding more enjoyable. This waterproof, sphere-shaped robot pairs to a mobile device via Bluetooth and has a top speed of seven feet per second. Through the company's SPRK lessons, kids learn programming basics while teaching Sphero to perform a mix of cool tricks, such as navigating obstacle courses and weaving across floors. (They can download ready-to-run apps as well.) Sphero comes with an inductive charging base and two ramps to get the action going.
If Amazon's Fire HD Kids Edition ($150 to $190) seems a bit pricey for a toy slate, consider LeapFrog's LeapPad3 Learning Tablet ($100) instead. Its 5-inch display may be a bit smaller and not as crisp as Amazon's 6- or 7-inch device, but the average toddler probably won't care all that much. The LeapPad3 is for ages 3 to 9, but it's best suited for lower end of that range. Its ruggedized exterior features a built-in bumper and a shatter-resistant capacitive touchscreen. WiFi provides access to a curated library of games, videos, and other kid-friendly content.
Finally, a wearable for kids! OK, maybe parents haven't exactly been clamoring for a wristband gizmo for their tech-savvy progeny, but the clever Moff Band ($55) may change that. When worn on the wrist, the Moff Band senses motion and adds sound effects to playtime activities. The companion iOS app includes a variety of sounds, such as "Ninja," "Magic," and "Boxing," which it plays from the speaker of an iPhone or iPad. (Android support is coming, the company says.) A single iPhone/iPad supports two Moff devices, thereby allowing Moff-wearing kids to interact by adding sound effects to a mock sword battle, for instance.
Drones for kids aren't new, but how about a drone with a camera? Skyrocket Toys' Sky Viper Camera Drone ($80) is a 16-inch quadcopter with an onboard VGA cam. It captures up to 30 minutes of video at 640x480 resolution, or up to 25,000 pictures from as high as 100 feet off the ground. The Camera Drone also performs barrel rolls and other stunts via a push of a button on the included remote control. The video quality may disappoint some 12- to 14-year-olds (the target audience) spoiled by HD or 4K imagery, but the Sky Viper's capabilities are impressive given its reasonable price.
On a really tight budget this season? The Kinivo ZX100 is an inexpensive and petite ($19) portable speaker with 360-degree sound. You can daisy-chain several units together, or simply connect one via cable (sorry, no Bluetooth here) to a 3.5-mm audio socket. The ZX100 is compatible with all iPhones, iPods, and CD and MP3 players.
These robotic construction kits allow kids to assemble robots out of the box without programming, wiring, or soldering. It's easy: Simply connect the components. Moss uses a single ground contact to transfer power and data; the ground passes through steel spheres, the tiny magnets on the corner of each module (see photo). This clever design gives kids the opportunity to build a wide range of interesting bots. Two Moss kits are available: The Zombonitron 1600 Basic Kit ($150) includes two spin modules to create simple robots that scurry and drive; the Exofabulatronixx 5200 Advanced Kit ($480) adds four sensors and a Bluetooth module for controlling your bots via smartphone, tablet, or PC.
These robotic construction kits allow kids to assemble robots out of the box without programming, wiring, or soldering. It's easy: Simply connect the components. Moss uses a single ground contact to transfer power and data; the ground passes through steel spheres, the tiny magnets on the corner of each module (see photo). This clever design gives kids the opportunity to build a wide range of interesting bots. Two Moss kits are available: The Zombonitron 1600 Basic Kit ($150) includes two spin modules to create simple robots that scurry and drive; the Exofabulatronixx 5200 Advanced Kit ($480) adds four sensors and a Bluetooth module for controlling your bots via smartphone, tablet, or PC.
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